Auto-level step for extrinsic calibration

Abstract

Techniques (e.g., methods, systems, devices) for receiving, from the lidar device, a measurement of the inertial measurement sensor. The techniques further including determining, using the measurement, at least one angle of a pitch angle or a roll angle of the lidar device. The techniques further including fixing the at least one angle of the lidar device in a graphical user interface that displays a location of the lidar device and providing one or more control elements in the graphical user interface that enable a user to specify one or more other degrees of freedom of the lidar device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising performing by a computer system in communication with a lidar device that includes an inertial measurement sensor:
 receiving, from the lidar device, a measurement of the inertial measurement sensor;   determining, using the measurement, at least one angle of a pitch angle or a roll angle of the lidar device;   fixing the at least one angle of the lidar device in a graphical user interface that displays a location of the lidar device; and   providing one or more control elements in the graphical user interface that enable a user to specify one or more other degrees of freedom of the lidar device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one angle is both the pitch angle and the roll angle. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer system is in communication with a second lidar device that includes a second inertial measurement sensor, the method further comprising:
 receiving, from the second lidar device, a second measurement of the second inertial measurement sensor;   determining, using the second measurement, at least one second angle of a second pitch angle or a second roll angle of the second lidar device;   fixing the at least one second angle of the second lidar device in the graphical user interface that displays a second location of the second lidar device; and   providing the one or more control elements in the graphical user interface that enable the user to specify one or more other degrees of freedom of the second lidar device.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 providing a first point cloud of the lidar device and a second point cloud of the second lidar device based on current positions specified in the graphical user interface; and   receiving user input via the one or more control elements to align the first point cloud and the second point cloud.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 presenting the first point cloud using at least one of: (i) a first color or (ii) first pattern; and   presenting the second point cloud using at least one of: (i) a second color different than the first color or (ii) a second pattern different than the first pattern.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 providing a first point cloud of the lidar device and a second point cloud of the second lidar device based on current positions specified in the graphical user interface; and   receiving input causing the first point cloud and the second point cloud to be aligned.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein aligning the first points cloud and the second point cloud, further comprises:
 adjusting at least one degree of freedom of the lidar device or the second lidar device to align with an object in the first point cloud, the object also reflected by the second point cloud. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein receiving the input causing the first point cloud and the second point cloud to be aligned occurs when the first point cloud and the second point cloud are substantially aligned. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving user input via the one or more control elements to change at least one of: (i) a position of the lidar device in the graphical user interface or (ii) a yaw included in the one or more other degrees of freedom of the lidar device in the graphical user interface.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein receiving the user input via the one or more control elements further comprises at least one of: (i) receiving a coordinate position via the one or more control elements or (ii) receiving an incremental adjustment to at least one degree of freedom. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the measurement of the inertial measurement sensor further comprises:
 receiving the measurement indicating a direction of gravitational pull from an accelerometer of the inertial measurement sensor.   
     
     
         12 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for controlling a processor, communicably coupled with a computing system, and configured to perform the following operations:
 receiving, from a lidar device, a measurement of a inertial measurement sensor;   determining, using the measurement, at least one angle of a pitch angle or a roll angle of the lidar device;   fixing the at least one angle of the lidar device in a graphical user interface that displays a location of the lidar device; and   providing one or more control elements in the graphical user interface that enable a user to specify one or more other degrees of freedom of the lidar device.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the computer system is in communication with a second lidar device that includes a second inertial measurement sensor, the operations further comprising:
 receiving, from the second lidar device, a second measurement of the second inertial measurement sensor;   determining, using the second measurement, at least one second angle of a second pitch angle or a second roll angle of the second lidar device;   fixing the at least one second angle of the second lidar device in the graphical user interface that displays a second location of the second lidar device; and   providing the one or more control elements in the graphical user interface that enable the user to specify one or more other degrees of freedom of the second lidar device.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 providing a first point cloud of the lidar device and a second point cloud of the second lidar device based on current positions specified in the graphical user interface; and   receiving user input via the one or more control elements to align the first point cloud and the second point cloud.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 providing a first point cloud of the lidar device and a second point cloud of the second lidar device based on current positions specified in the graphical user interface; and   receiving input causing the first point cloud and the second point cloud to be aligned.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein aligning the first points cloud and the second point cloud, further comprises:
 adjusting at least one degree of freedom of the lidar device or the second lidar device to align with an object in the first point cloud, the object also reflected by the second point cloud.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein receiving the input causing the first point cloud and the second point cloud to be aligned occurs when the first point cloud and the second point cloud are substantially aligned. 
     
     
         18 . A lidar device comprising:
 a lidar unit that includes emitters configured to emit light and sensors configured to detect reflected light;   an inertial measurement sensor that measures at least one angle of a pitch angle or a roll angle of the lidar device; and   a network interface configured to receive a request for the measurement and to provide the measurement to a computer system, the computer system configured to:
 receive, from the lidar device, a measurement of the inertial  8  measurement sensor; 
 determine, using the measurement, at least one angle of the pitch angle or the roll angle of the lidar device; 
 fix the at least one angle of the lidar device in a graphical user interface that displays a location of the lidar device; and 
 provide one or more control elements in the graphical user interface that enable a user to specify one or more other degrees of freedom of the lidar device. 
   
     
     
         19 . The lidar device of  claim 18 , wherein the computer system is in communication with a second lidar device that includes a second inertial measurement sensor and is further configured to:
 receive, from the second lidar device, a second measurement of the second inertial measurement sensor;   determine, using the second measurement, at least one second angle of a second pitch angle or a second roll angle of the second lidar device;   fix the at least one second angle of the second lidar device in the graphical user interface that displays a second location of the second lidar device; and   provide the one or more control elements in the graphical user interface that enable the user to specify one or more other degrees of freedom of the second lidar device.   
     
     
         20 . The lidar device of  claim 19 , wherein the computer system is further configured to:
 provide a first point cloud of the lidar device and a second point cloud of the second lidar device based on current positions specified in the graphical user interface; and   receive user input via the one or more control elements to align the first point cloud and the second point cloud.